Review: ELF Tone Correcting Concealer

After quite a long time, here's a review. :)

I am not really a fan of concealers then since I do not really have anything to conceal. I consider myself lucky before. However, due to frequent late nights (hello, rush paper works and DVD marathons with sibs!), I developed these hideous dark circles under my eyes. :(
They look really *insert sad adjective here* on me. Imagine a perky face with dark under eyes. Weird, eh?

So the last week, I went to the mall and  purchased this low priced concealer. Low priced @ PhP129! Awesomesauce.

I already got a stick concealer but I want to use a cream/liquid concealer this time since stick concealers tend to be cakey and/or thick. :-/ I also wanted it to be in a small container so it would fit my already bursting beauty kit. Anddddd the last criteria for my demanding list is that it should have a sponge applicator for hassle free applications. :)

You know what, I'm not really a big fan of ELF cosmetics but I'm starting to love it now! Their products are beginning to be really nice. They also stay longer than their earlier released products. Yipee!

ELF says:

• Hides complexion imperfections
• Evens out skin tone
• Natural looking, silky smooth coverage

I say:

• Yes, it does cover complexion imperfections. However since it goes on very thin, you need to apply twice. But no worries! After those 1st 2 applications, it stays for the whole day. ^_^
• Again, yes, it evens out skin tone.
• This is what I loved most about this--it looks natural! It does not thicken even when mixed with facial oil at the middle of the day and it's smooth, not chalky. 

I was lucky cos my tube was the last one for my shade (the lightest, which is Apricot Beige). Guess it was meant to be? LOL Overall, the product has a FIVE~STAR~RATING for me. ^_~ Just a tip: Top it with face powder for more staying powder. After that, no more retouches! Neat, huh?

I really recommend this concealer. : )

'Til next time! Ciao!

Oh, BTW! I succumbed to having a haircut today!~ My hair badly needs it so, tadah! 

D'you like it?? haha :D

<3, Shiu

FOTD: Nov.22,2011

Hi y'all! FOTD. :)

Kekeke. : )

makeup For Dummies: Mixing 2 shades of eye shadow

If you still feel that in-depth eyeshadow application freaks you out, then here's my easy tip for you!

Just mix two different colors of eyeshadow (shimmery ones are your best bet!) and spread evenly on both lids. No need to worry about shading and other eyeshadow techniques. (",)

Yesterday, this is what I have sported--lavender and brown. Pretty~ ~

Hope this is helpful! Ciao!

<3, Shiu

What's inside my makeup purse and what I use for my face :3

What's inside my makeup pouch?

ELF eyebrow kit~Ellefar SlimColor Pact~Etude House baby Skin Foundation~
EH Eyelash primer~Maybelline HyperCurl mascara in black~
Shawill baby pink blusher~Revlon  SuperLustrous  lipstick in Ginger Rose~
EH golden brow makeup~EH OhMyLine liquid eyeliner in black~WoodPecker hairbrush

Nowadays, I use baby powder on top of my thinly applied foundation because I go to hot locations a lot (my work as an HR person requires me to visit the factory often). I do not have a lot of time to retouch nor blot my face with oil control paper so the low maintenance girl in me kicks in and opts for baby powder which is so light you feel fresh whenever you put it on. : ) J&J baby powder in the blue bottle is my fave. ~

On another note, I rarely leave the house without applying foundation. Well, more of a thinly spread amount since I sport a "no makeup" look almost everyday. It's also a good baby powder primer.hahaha! *Baby powder's got a primer now, huh?LOL* Since I have combination skin (I have an oily face with patches of dry skin), it's kind of a good idea to use foundation before baby powder to avoid the powder from highlighting my face's dry parts.

Note though that not all foundations/BB creams work well with baby powder. Some may turn cake-y and some may oxidize so much that they crack. Eww.

Okaaaaay. Here are my fave baby powder bases! Er, foundations/BB cream that goes well with baby powder.LOL

Etude House Baby Skin Foundation~Revlon PhotoReady~Maybelline BB Cream

These 3 are what I have tried so far that are A-okay with baby powder. :)

So for those who are kind of low maintenance or do not have the patience to retouch/dab on their faces all the time, these 3 + baby powder may work for you. 

Well, check if it works for your skin type first ofcourse. : )

Review: Revlon PhotoReady and Etude House Lip Concealer

Nu ni nu ni nu.. ~

This is more of a follow-up entry from the last one. I just separated this review to avoid too long posts.

Anyhoo, a lot has been asking me what foundation I really love. The answer is: Revlon PhotoReady.

PhotoReady in 004-Nude

This is actually my 2nd bottle already. Bought this from my friend/former officemate, Dana, since she wanted another product. So...

Here's the swatch on my hand. 

It is a liquid foundation with tiny sparkles. Not the scary sparkles like glitters, mind you. It's not too obvious, anyway, so no need to be bothered about it. It goes on thin but has really good coverage. A small amount goes a long way too so a bottle can last you a while. :p You can easily blend it using your fingers. But if you want an even application, the use of a foundation or a stipling brush is still the way to go. As for myself, I just use my fingers because I think my skin's okay right now.hehe I just use my brush when I need full coverage. :D

Left side- With PhotoReady (1 layer only); Right- No Makeup

Sorry for the scary photo!LOL You can see that with PhotoReady, even with just one layer, my skin already looks even! I applied this with my fingers that's why it looks thinly spread (which I personally like). Actually, I do not use concealer. I just double the application on problem areas like my under eyes, sides of nose and around the mouth. I pat powder on top of it after to set it.

Okay, as a review:
PROs:

• Great coverage. No need for powder if you have dry skin.
• Stays all day long even without retouch if you aren't sweating profusely and dabbing on your face often.haha
• Even with just one layer of application, you can already see the photoshop effect. It does live up to its name PhotoReady. :)
• 1 bottle can last you a while. Small amount can already cover so much.
• Light on the face. It does not have the heavy feel of foundation. It's not icky and hot as well. Perfect for the Philippine weather. 

CONs:

• I do not recommend this for oily skin. It has low oil control and can make your face greasy at the middle of the day. However, if you keep your oil blotters near (and your face powder) then this can be remedied. Those with dry skin will love this. 
• Has tiny, tiny sparkles that not everyone may like. Note that these sparkles are NOT really that visible. It's just an issue with me 'cause I notice these things.hahaha! Sorry!
• Quite pricey for students. A little under PhP1,000. 

As for the oily skin issue, I actually have oily skin and I USE IT. Since I'm not really a "retouch fusser" and I always oil blot (or tissue blot) my face anyway, I manage to keep my face from looking like an oil spill.haha It's just like this: Do you favor oil control over having flawless skin? If yes, then do not buy this. Easy as that. :))


Hooooo-kaaayy.
Another product I'm gonna review now is Etude House's Lip Concealer which I heartttt.
I have two major problems about my lips: 1. It's really pigmented, meaning they look deeply colored (red to berry--depending on the temp) and 2. I am acidic, meaning that I have high acid level and any lipstick on my puckers will turn reddish/berry-ish after a while.
You may say, "What's the problem with that?? Having deeply colored kissers are nice!" Well it can be but for a person who loves nude and pale lipsticks, this is heart breaking, ok??

So before, what I do to keep my lips pale is applying powder on it before putting on lipstick. It does the trick but purchasing a lip concealer is way better.
I had an ELF lip concealer before but I discontinued using it because it has a tendency to dry the lips, giving you a cracked lipstick look after a while. **ewwy on my book.

That's why i am madly in love with EH's Color Me Nude lip concealer.

Review Time:
PROs:

• Cheap, cheap, cheap. A little over a hundred bucks. :D
• Comes in stick (lipstick) form which makes it easier to use than gloss types.
• Doesn't come off easily. It's stay-on power is dependent on the lipstick you are wearing. 
• Tastes okay. Not scented nor flavored.
• Easy to blend. 

CON:

• Needs about two swipes on my lips to really cover its color. Number and thickness of swipes vary with different lip colors, ofcourse.

Yup, just one con for me! <3
I really like this one. It can even be your base lippe if you want to wear just your colored or tinted lipgloss! Like this:

Used with Shawill Crystal Gloss

Pale Happy!~

So I highly recommend it to everybody. :D

'Til next time! ; )

<3, Shiu

Eyebrow Makeup Tutorial (Cream and Powder Makeup)

Finally, got the time to blog!
I made a video tutorial of how I draw my eyebrows. For that, since I have colored my hair light brown already (Yes, I have said goodbye to blonde butttt everybody's saying my hair's still blonde..just less bright. Argh.), I can now use brown eyebrow makeup again. Awesome 'cause I really love natural colored eyebrows.

What I use for my eyebrows is ELF's Eyebrow Kit.

ELF Eyebrow Kit: Dark brown is cream, brown  is powder.

Staying power of the product is great. I use it for my makeup work too (yes, even for weddings and photoshoots where the lights are harsh) and it stays for a whole day. Well, unless if you have super oily skin then better use primer first. :)

The greatest things about the kit is that it's all you need to draw a whole eyebrow. No need to buy pencils, etc. unless you really want a defined look or a Dita von Teese look which requires other products. It's super cheap as well. Strong brows or natural ones, you can achieve with this.



Here is the video!

Tadah!!!

As for my "brow inspiration", I got two. They are local celebrities, Kim Chiu and Heart Evangelista. Both always have beautifully drawn eyebrows. But looking at their brows, I believe their makeup artists use wet brushes to apply powder makeup. :) I'll do another tutorial on that one another time. ^_^


So for now, this'll do!hehe
Thanks for reading and visiting!!~

<3, Shiu

Modeling...Again.

    Belated happy Halloween to all of you!~

    I got too busy with the fam to make any new tutorials this holiday so to give you a beauty post today, I'll share my most recent photoshoot.

    For months, I took a break from modeling due to my former job and my family's situation (my mom got sick again with the Big C). So I hid myself behind paper works and tried to be an unregistered nurse to my mom.LOL I had a lot of offers to model and do makeup but I turned them down because of my new job as an HR person (I help manage our agency now, so). I also wanted to have more time with my mom. I stay home as much as I can and being a makeup artist-slash-model requires you to go out often. 

   Consequently, I literally got zero inspiration so I decided to do tutorials recently to boost myself a bit. I cannot live without arts, I tell you. From my tutorials, something sparked inside me again, like a sign, and I realized that I wanted to model again. :) So I immediately contacted my photographer friend, Luis Dalton, before I lost the feeling.  He was out of the country when we planned the shoot (he wanted to have a Popteen theme) and when he got back, I said "Lez go!"

     He invited two of his photographer friends, Allan Mendoza and Roi Francisco, who are two geniuses as well! While I decided to tag along my sister, Abby and her bestfriend, Jessica (she needed photos for a pageant so I asked Luis if she may join us). 

    My clothes were sponsored by Ms. Odess Marquez of The Luxurious Girl. The clothes were crazy amazing!!! I did my hair and makeup for the different sets. I really missed this life. 

Here are The Luxurious Girl's Sites:

Multiply: http://luxuriousgirl.multiply.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theluxuriousshop

by Luis Dalton

by Luis Dalton

by Luis Dalton

**I'll post the photos of Allan and Roi when they get the pictures up, alrytie?? 

     Thumbs up to Luis for his super awesome photos. The guy got some mad skills, yes?

Later kyot people!

<3, Shiu